In retail environments, barcode labels are used on products to encode the identity of the products in black and white patterns that can be read by a scanner.
For products that are not surrounded by packaging, the barcode labels are often applied directly to the product using an adhesive. After purchase, consumers typically remove such labels because they mar the appearance of the products. If the label is too difficult to remove, the consumer is less satisfied with their purchase.
However, if the label is too easy to remove, the label becomes susceptible to label switching in which a person switches a label for a higher cost item with the label for a lower cost item. Thus, it is desirable to make the label easy to remove while making label switching difficult.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.